HC stays handing over of Jayalalithaa’s jewellery to Tamil Nadu Govt

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday stayed handing over of gold and diamond ornaments of the former Tamil Nadu CM, late J Jayalalithaa to the neighbouring state till March 26.

The Court granted the stay on a plea from Jayalalithaa's niece J Deepa.

The ornaments had been confiscated by the anti-corruption sleuths from Chennai in the disproportionate assets (DA) case they had registered against her which she battled. A special court in Bengaluru had ordered the Karnataka authorities to hand them over to the TN government to enable it to monetise them.


The petitioner, however, moved the Karnataka High Court, challenging the July 12, 2023, special court order, praying that Jayalalithaa should be treated as 'acquitted' as the Supreme Court had stopped the proceedings against her.

The special court had said 27 kg of gold and diamond ornaments be handed over to the TN government on March 6-7, 2024, so that they can be monetized and the Rs 100 crore fine imposed on her was recovered.

While the court allowed 20 kg of gold to be sold or auctioned, the remaining 7 kg had been exempted by the court reckoning it as Jayalalithaa’s inheritance from her mother.